The former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Abdulmumin Jibrin, on Thursday claimed that the Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara and three other principal officers he accused of inserting billions into the 2016 budget are attempting to obstruct justice.
The lawmaker said Dogara and others are trying to obstruct justice by seizing information relevant to the allegation and impeding investigations.
A statement issued by Jibrin on Thursday reads:
“Speaker Dogara has ordered that all the computers in the appropriation secretariat be shut down and moved to his office as if that is the answer to the allegations I raised.
“The secretariat workers are being harassed to keep quiet and suppress facts. There has also been an attempt to break into my office at the House.
“I know he wants to tamper with documents critical to his and three others future investigation and prosecution but unfortunately for him we already have enough evidence in our possession. The security and anti -corruption agencies should kindly take note. ”
Speaking on the press briefing organised by Gombe Reps Caucus which accused him of waging a “campaign of calumny,” he said:
“Five members of the Gombe caucus addressed the press today (Thursday) in a show of shame and succeeded in only rehearsing the accusation of lies leveled against me by Speaker Dogara.
“Two of them are part of the list of corrupt members I will be submitting to the EFCC. My response to them is they should simply read my full reply released yesterday and join the Transparency Group (TG), an alliance of hundreds of members to cleanse the House of corruption and corrupt members.
“They should act honourably by calling on Speaker Dogara to listen to the call of Nigerians to reconvene the House immediately so that an independent investigation can commence.”
When the Special Adviser to the Speaker on Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan, was contacted on the issue, he declined to react to the allegation.